Reds drop eighth of last 12

Remember that 5-0 start? What happened since. The Reds have dropped 8 of 12, including a 5-4 loss to the D-Backs on Tuesday.

The ball was carrying in the muggy air and in the press box, it felt like Kramer and Elaine’s experience at H & H Bagels on Seinfeld.

Even the outs were loud against Sam LeCure, who also surrendered four home runs — a season high for a Reds pitcher.

Some notes:

*Brandon Phillips tested his sore right groin with a dazzling defensive play in the third inning. On Ryan Roberts grounder to the hole between first and second, Phillips made a running pick to his left and threw to first base on the run.

“I really didn’t want him to make that play going into the hole to turn and throw. He had the presence of mind to just keep running and not try to stop,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said.
*The Reds have rallies in the eighth and ninth innings where they had the tying run up. It was a killer in the eighth after Phillips’ RBI single when the heart of the order — Votto, Rolen and Bruce went down in order. Votto struck out on three pitches, Rolen popped a 1-0 pitch behind the plate and Bruce skied a long flyout to center field.

*The Reds have given up at least one run in the first inning in the last three games. Roberts hit the first of his two homers in the top of the first inning.

*The Reds haven’t lost three in a row since Sept 22, 24-25 of last season.

*Joey Votto was hit by a pitch in the first inning and has now reached in all 17 games this season.

*Nice night for the bullpen. Bill Bray worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings with one hit and Logan Ondrusek had two perfect innings with two strikeouts.

*It’s been quite a workload for that bullpen of late. The Reds rotation has only 24 1/3 innings pitched in the last five games. They’ve allowed 24 runs in that stretch.

Quotes:

“I was frustrated I was not able to go deeper in the game to save the bullpen, more than the runs.” — Sam LeCure

“I got him on a slider. He had a great at-bat. Some of the splits I threw weren’t really where I wanted them. I had him just out in front enough for him to pull them foul. Couple of those made my heart stop. I thought they were down the line. We were fortunate to get out of this one”. — Arizona closer J.J. Putz on facing Paul Janish in the ninth. Janish fouled off four 2-2 pitches before grounding out in a key at-bat.

**
“You can’t get down. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. You just have to keep playing. We knew it was going to be a tough road sooner or later, especially when you have two of your main horses – Cueto and Homer out. Hopefully we can win some games until they come back and really get on a roll…and save my bullpen.” — Dusty Baker.

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